Lock trouble

[Don]

Just need some advise with a little problem. I have a Kentucky rifle(percussion) I built from a kit from a name brand company. Seems every time I let it sit for a while the lock binds up when I go to the range and the hammer won't fall with sufficiant force to pop the cap. The first time this happened I broke things loose with some WD40 and latter put some dry silicone lube on the lock parts. That was about 6 months ago. Today I took it out to practice for a shoot next weekend. Again the lock bound up and the hammer hardly fell at all. I took it home, removed the lock, cleaned it and applied WD40 to it. It loosened up and started functioning fine again. I did not apply any dry silicon lube to it this time. My question is this, will the WD 40 get sticky and cause more problems with this lock? Is there a better lube I can use on the lock to keep it funtioning?

Thanks in advance,

Don

 

[Robert58]

Just my 2 cents, but throw that WD-40 in the garbage. I won't have that stuff in my house. Get some Breakfree or Rem Oil.

Robert

 

[tucoblue]

WD40 is not a lubricant. It's a Water Dispersant (W.D.).

 

[hardykev]

Another good lube is tetra oil (available in the firearm section at Wal-Mart.

Ballistol has some big fans as well, I intend on buying a bottle this week.

When you removed the lock, did you disassemble it? I suspect you have something in there that will require disasembly to root out and resolve.

 

[Zonie]

WD 40 works well as a penetrating oil but it wasn't designed for that. It is actually a Water Displacement fluid developed for guided missles and electronics. It has very limited lubrication properties.
For a better answer, follow this thread:
http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=000076#000000

although it was discussing oils in sub zero conditions it has a lot about oils to use.

If the gun is only used in warm conditions, I might try a drop or two of rear axel (differential/manual transmission) oil like GL5. It has addatives known as EPL (extreme pressure lubricant) in it because it has to resist being wiped off by the gear teeth where they are meshing.
If there is a chanch that there is some gooey oillike stuff in the lockplate where the tumbler passes thru it, or between the tumbler and the sideplate you might want to buy some lacquer thinner or acetone and soak the lock in it to desolve the stuff before you lubricate the lock with some good oil.
If you can find it, Ballistol is being hyped as being really good stuff. (I don't know because I've never tried it.)

 

[Chuck Deaton]

If you are looking for pentetrating oil, Kroil is the best.

 

[roundball]

Or...it may not be a lubrication issue at all...
There are a couple potential problem areas that can cause symptoms of lock problems when it's not the actual lock mechanics at all:

1) A little more wood may need to be relieved around moving locks parts that could be causing dragging / binding;

2) and/or, if the lock mounting screw is tighter than it needs to be, it can warp the side plate in slightly causing lock malfunctions, or cause binding against wood areas under the lock that will cause lock problems.

 

[Don]

Thanks Guys, I know its not a problem with friction in the stock because the lock performed poorly when I removed it from the stock prior to cleaning and applying the WD40. I have two possabilities that don't require a trip to the gun shop. I have on hand 3in1 oil and Hoppe's number 9 oil, which would be best to lube my lock?

Thanks again

Don

 

[roundball]

If it was me, I'd use the Hoppe's...at least it's made specifically with guns in mind.

Can you disassemble the lock completely and look for signs on each part for rubbing?
ie: The tumbler may be cinched up too tight against the inside of the side plate...will show shiny rubbing marks...the lube dries out and the galling begins again, etc.

I began a campaign a couple years that whenever I'm puttering around in the garage with a muzzleloader, I pull the lock and disassemble it to polish the major moving surfaces with a felt tipped dremel tool and polishing compound...makes them slick & fast

 

[R.Dorsett]

I had the same problem on a CVA .36cal.my son shoots,All I did was take the lock off of the gun and used Breakfree,since then there's not been a problem.

 

[Don]

Well, I took the lock apart and found that the tumbler was digging a groove in the side plate. I ran a file over the tumbler and then a little sanding with some emery cloth. Then I applied a couple of drops of Hoppe's #9 oil on it before I reassembled the lock. It seems to have done the trick for now. I'll repeat the proccess if need be. Thanks for the pointers guys

Don

 

[Racing Turtle]

Glad you found the real trouble. WD-40 is a Water displacer, a pretty fair gun cleaner, a good rust preventative, but a poor lubricant. It's too thin for most mechanisms. If you DO have a dirty or gummy mechanism, spraying it with WD will only provide very temporary relief, because you haven't really cleaned anything. You've just temporarily softened up the original gunk. Then you can blame the WD-40. That's not WD's fault. JL

 

[musketman]

The other problem with WD-40, Hoppe's number 9 and other sprays and oils is that they are very pungent, deer and other game use their sense of smell for defence...

What is needed is a fragrance-free oil and cleaner, we humans smell bad enough to deers without adding to it...